Blog

The weather prediction was wind…and more wind, 25-30mph.  This can make for some of the most fun paddling, letting the wind push your boat along as you just sit back and rudder. It can also make for some of the hardest paddling if you have to paddle into it, your boat hardly moving but aRead more

The weather was going to be great for this trip and apparently everyone knew it because we had a long waiting list.  So the 16 folks that make the trip, along with Kevin and I, had one of the most perfect days that we could have hiked the backbone trail. I must say I wasRead more

We had a small group of 7 people ranging in age from lower 20’s to our eldest who has a 5 and 7 in his age, not necessarily in the order. We met 3 people at Chicot State Park an hour after we left Pack & Paddle, with a minimal threat of rain only forRead more

Once we left Pack & Paddle, we had a second meeting place at the Atchafalaya Welcome Center at the Butte LaRose Exit.  If you haven’t been here, stop in and watch the short film about the swamp, it is pretty dang awesome.  Also there are lots of local books and artwork on display.  We droveRead more

This trip I decided we would paddle the waters less traveled on the south end of the lake.  I waited until we were on the lake to make the decision about the direction to take because we had a 6-7 mph north wind.  Once we crossed the lake to the east side, the wind wasRead more

On Sunday,  September 23, 2012, we set out from Pack & Paddle for a day hike in Clark Creek Natural Area. The weather had been cool the week prior to the hike, and we were secretly hoping that the trend would hold up. For such a short 2 hour “all-highway” drive East, the trail is remarkablyRead more

It was a windy day on Lake Martin.  We checked the wind direction heading out so we would have a harder paddle out and an easier paddle back in.  We maneuvered through the cypress and tupelo trees, crossing logs that would sink beneath us as we skid across them. Just when we reach, what IRead more

2 o’clock bayou is located just off of Hwy 190 and Hwy 71 between Port Barre and Krotz Springs.  We immediately saw several turtles sunning themselves down this seldom used waterway.  Of course there was the ever present red-ear slider but then there was the Mississippi map turtle, it has ridges down the center ofRead more

We met behind Pack & Paddle at 8am, our group consisted of Glenn and I, Anne and Steve, a couple from Atlanta, Peter and Helena, siblings from Lafayette and Mandeville, and Dean, a long time friend of Pack and Paddle. We convoyed to Chico State Park and put in at the North Landing. We traversedRead more

The Backbone is not a loop trail and it requires us to stage some vehicles at the end of the route so we have a way back when we finish. We used the “chuck wagon”, my truck, to pile everyone in the back, and one more which worked out quite nicely since we had 13Read more